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Swim for Life
As part of the Canadian Red Cross moving out of swim lessons, they have endorsed the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life swim lessons as the new provider. You will find information below on the Swim for Life program but to view swim lesson availability, go to the website and/or leisure guide listings for your municipality. Please note that many providers will be transitioning to Swim for Life in January 2023 so you may not see listings until November/December 2022.
“The acquisition of basic swimming ability is a fundamental requirement in any meaningful attempt to eliminate drowning in Canada” - Lifesaving Society Canadian Swim to Survive position statement.
Features and Benefits
Swim for Life is a complete learn-to-swim program from Parent & Tot through to Leadership. Easy to program and easy to explain, Swim for Life leads seamlessly into the Society’s lifesaving training awards. The program is endorsed by the International Life Saving Federation and the Commonwealth Royal Life Saving Society.
Swim for Life Program Modules
There are five modules in the Swim for Life program:
- 1. Parent & Tot for parents and children up to 3 years of age
- 2. Preshool for children 3-5 years
- 3. Swimmer for children 5 years and older
- 4. Adult Swimmer for people over 16 years
- 5. Fitness Swimmer for swimmers of any age who want to improve their overall physical fitness.
The Society designed the modules to flow together seamlessly and logically into one another and into the basic lifesaving awards: Rookie, Ranger and Star Patrol
MAKING THE MOVE: UNDERSTANDING LIFESAVING SOCIETY PROGRAMS FOR SWIMMERS AND PARENTS
Moving away from Canadian Red Cross swim and lifeguard programs is a big change. We're here to help you understand how Lifesaving Society programs compare to Canadian Red Cross programs.
While many programs have several components within them (such as how Red Cross Swim was made up of Swim Preschool, Swim Kids, and Swim School), the below chart shows a high-level comparison of Canadian Red Cross and Lifesaving Society programs. Keep scrolling for more information on Lifesaving Society Swim programs and transferring to them from Red Cross Swim.
| CANADIAN RED CROSS PROGRAM | LIFESAVING SOCIETY EQUIVALENT |
| Red Cross Swim | Swim for Life |
| Water Safety Instructor | Swim for Life Instructor |
| Water Safety Instructor Trainer | Swim for Life Trainer |
View the complete Swim Kids to Swim for Life transition chart
PARENT AND TOT PROGRAMS
Swim for Life Parent and Tot structures in-water interaction between parent/caregiver and child to stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills.
Recommended Age: 4 months - 3 years
| FROM RED CROSS SWIM PRESCHOOL | TO SWIM FOR LIFE - PARENT AND TOT |
| Starfish | Jellyfish (4-12 months) |
| Duck | Goldfish (12-24 months) |
| Sea Turtle | Seahorse (2-3 years) |
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS
Swim for Life Preschool ensures children become comfortable in the water and have fun developing a foundation of water skills.
Recommended Age: 3-5 years
| FROM RED CROSS SWIM PRESCHOOL | TO SWIM FOR LIFE - PRESCHOOL |
| Sea Otter | Octopus |
| Salamander | Crab |
| Sunfish | Orca |
| Crocodile | Sea Lion |
| Whale | Narwhal |
SWIMMER PROGRAMS
Swim for Life Swimmer ensures children become comfortable in the water and have fun developing a foundation of water skills.
Recommended Age: 5-12 years old
See Swimmer skills At-a-Glance.
| FROM RED CROSS SWIM KIDS | TO SWIM FOR LIFE - SWIMMER |
| Swim Kids 1 | Swimmer 1 |
| Swim Kids 2 | Swimmer 2 |
| Swim Kids 3 | Swimmer 3 |
| Swim Kids 4 | Swimmer 4 |
| Swim Kids 5 | Swimmer 4 |
| Swim Kids 6 | Swimmer 5 |
| Swim Kids 7 | Swimmer 6 |
| Swim Kids 8 | Swimmer 7 (Rookie Patrol) |
| Swim Kids 9 | Swimmer 8 (Ranger Patrol) |
| Swim Kids 10 | Swimmer 9 (Star Patrol) |
- Canadian Swim Patrol (Rookie, Ranger, Star)
- Junior Lifeguard Club)
- Bronze Star/Medallion
ADULT PROGRAMS
In addition to swimming programs geared towards youth, the Lifesaving Society also has programs aimed at adults. Swimming programs include Adult Swimmer and Fitness Swimmer.
Lifesaving and Leadership Programs are also perfect for adults!
ADULT SWIMMER
The Adult Swimmer Program is for beginners or swimmers who want to improve their skills. Within the Adult Swimmer curriculum, participants set their own goals to develop water confidence and recognizable strokes.
See Adult Swimmer skills at a glance.
FITNESS SWIMMER
The Fitness Swimmer Program is for swimmers of any age who want to improve their overall physical fitness in the water. Some of the skills covered include: use of pace clocks; stretches; workout design; and distance swimming. Fitness Swimmer provides a structured approach to improve physical fitness based on accepted training principles and practices.
LIFESAVING PROGRAMS
Swimmers who have completed Swim Kids 8 or above move into the Lifesaving Program. Higher levels of the Lifesaving Program are also great for adults. As long as you're a strong swimmer it's never too late to work towards becoming a lifeguard!
The Lifesaving Program includes:
Canadian Swim Patrol Program
- Rookie Patrol
- Ranger Patrol
- Star Patrol
Bronze Medal awards
- Bronze Star
- Bronze Medallion
- Bronze Cross
National Lifeguard Service® (NL) awards
- National Lifeguard - Pool
- National Lifeguard - Water Park
- National Lifeguard - Waterfront
- National Lifeguard - Surf
Aside from entering the Lifesaving Program, swimmers may also be interested in joining local Lifeguard Clubs (Junior Lifeguard Clubs (JLC) or Senior Lifeguard Clubs (SLC)) where they can continually improve swimming and lifesaving skills and participate in Lifesaving Sport.
112-3989 Henning Drive
Burnaby, BC
V5C 6N5
T: 604.299.5450
General inquiries: info@lifesaving.bc.ca
Awards inquiries: awards@lifesaving.bc.ca
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112-3989 Henning Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia V5C 6N5
Branch Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
T: 604.299.5450
General inquiries: info@lifesaving.bc.ca
Awards inquiries: awards@lifesaving.bc.ca
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